​Who are you? Who am I? Why is this question (that has been asked for thousands of years) so important and so meaningful to the human experience?

It is believed the ancient Luxor Temple of ancient Egypt held the phrase: “MAN, KNOW THYSELF, AND YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW THE GODS.” It’s a very powerful quote. When we truly know ourselves (our greatest strengths, and our biggest weaknesses) we can optimize our interactions with the environment.

I was asked to write about my journey inward, and that journey began by studying the stars (Astrology). I spent the vast majority of my life thinking Astrology was a bullshit pseudo-science only embraced by crazy mystics. It wasn’t until 5 years ago, while working at a bar, when my curiosity began to get the better of me. It was Christmas break and the bar was empty, and in walk two beautiful blond girls.

They asked me: “what’s your sign?”

I replied: “you tell me?”

They did.

They guessed I was Fire. I am. Later showed me my birth chart. I didn’t know it then, but it was the best Christmas ‘gift’ anyone has ever given me.

If alcohol is a window to the soul, then watching people interact in an alcohol fueled environment showed me how certain souls collide. There were definitely clear patterns that emerged. It doesn’t take a chemist to know that human interaction mirrors the chemical world:

Some people blend harmoniously, others split like oil on water, others combine and combust creating warmth and energy, and in severe cases, mixing two people can cause a devastating explosion, or toxic mess! The ancients knew this all too well! They explained this complex phenomenon of the ‘Human Element’ by dividing people into four ‘tribes’: Fire, Water, Earth, Air

Members of each ‘tribe” tend to share similar traits and will often work well together (Scorpio + Pisces, Capricorn+Taurus, Gemini+Aquarius, Aries+ Sagitarius, etc.)

Different tribes can interact harmoniously, like Fire+Air, or Earth+Water, or Air+Water,

Or sometimes different tribes can clash, like Air+Earth or Water+Fire.

There are always exceptions, but this is the very basic building blocks for the astrological perspective.

I don’t know why these patterns exist. They just do. That is kind of the beauty behind Astrology. That something can be real, meaningful and powerful enough to withstand hundreds of generations, yet still be unable to be proven by science. There are always things societies’ collective consciousness (wisdom) knows, before science has the tools to prove.

That being said, there have been many scientific study’s showing a correlation between birth month and longevity of life, sickness, personality traits, mental illness, and even what a person loves or hates doing.

I believe Astrology is the oldest recorded religion in the world. The Lascaux Cave paintings are the oldest human paintings (about 17,000 years old!). On those cave walls are herds of Bulls, Lions, Ibex, and Horses, which may or may not be a very old version of humans identifying as animals and correspond the corresponding constellations of Taurus, Leo, Capricorn, and Sagittarius. Who knows?

The cosmos is the most beautiful fractal in nature, and Astrology uses this most extreme fractal of the outer world to help explain the infinite depths of our inner worlds. As we near Easter Sunday, a time of physical, mental and spiritual resurrection, I invite you all to explore the world of astrology and try to connect with nature and human nature on a deeper level.